Both Sides of the Angel's Ace
by Miko A. Kimura
Summary: Mikuo was Rin's lover in the past, and a large influence in her life. Everyone thought he was gone forever... but in reality, he was always there, mending his mourning dove's wings. This is his story. /Parallel-Sequel to Two Sides of the Devil's Coin/


**_Bout time I got to this! Sorry it took so long!_**_**  
>Also, when you read this, remember the mourning dove Rin saw crash in my other story.<strong>  
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><p><em>The time was around noon- the sun in the dead center of the sky gave that away. Sunday morning, and the city was strangely void of life, as everyone was inside either in church, working, or just resting at home. The wind was almost non-existent, making the aura of the world peaceful. But, for our story, this section of the world was anything but peaceful.<em>

"_Please, give me another chance!" the girl in front of his sobbed, warm and shimmering tears falling down her blue eyes which expressed the sadness inside her. Her voice hiccuped and wavered with such ferocity. Still, the boy's face did not change. For plastered on his face was a small smile. Not one of joy or happiness, but one of sorrow. A smile of one who tries to save the other, even in the middle of the storm._

_He looked her right in her watering blue eyes, trying to hide the pain that lied within them. He couldn't let her see how painful this meeting was- he couldn't let her see his heart splitting in two just as hers was. After all, he was the cause. If only he had been around more than he was, maybe she would have been happy. So, hiding the waver in his own voice, he spoke with nobility, "It's not your fault for falling in love with him. I'm the one who wasn't around as much as I should have been,"_

_She continued to sob quietly, getting a single word through before being interrupted. "But-"_

_He quickly interrupted her, going on with what he was saying, with a soft and slightly pained smile. He had to sever the line before it hurt them any more. "I've met with him already. He's a nice person, that guy is. I think I can trust him with you,"_

_He could hear his own words breaking him in two, but there was nothing he could truly do. She had fallen in love with him-the other guy-, and that was that. If this future would make her happy, as it would seem to, he would leave. Not easily, as his own agony indicated, but he would leave. And maybe she would see that soon enough, after the waterfall of tears had ceased._

"_Please, don't leave," she almost whispered._

_He ignored her pleas, but gave her one last thing to end the meeting. He bent down for one last kiss, letting his lips brush against hers, showing and declaring his love for her even if they were parting forever. Tears finally slipped past his eyes as they closed. It felt like it lasted forever._

_But he stopped it before it could last._

_Backing up to widen the distance- he couldn't stand so close to her without feeling like he was about to break apart, he said one more thing: "Please, forget me. Forget me so you can be happy, Rin-chan. You know I don't like seeing you so sad,"_

_But much to his dismay, she shook her head violently. "No. I don't want to ever forget. Please!"_

_His hand found its to her cheek as he once again stared into her eyes. His expression was asking, begging. "Please, Rin-chan, forget me. Move on and be happy," He smiled sadly, taking his hand with him. At least he still cared. "Remember, you'll always have that little guardian angel hidden behind you," He paused, turning away from the girl and ignoring the look of pain on her face. "Goodbye, Rin."_

_He started walking, strongly ignoring the overwhelming urge to look back- to run back- and give her one last chance. Even as she yelled for him to come back, he continued walking tall through the __local park. A few people looked his way, seeing the occasional tear or two fall down his face, but they soon ignored him._

_And above him the birds were singing._

"_Goodbye."_

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><p><strong>Mikuo's POV:<strong>

"It's been so long since I was back," the tealette boy smiled, walking through the town that he had left about three years ago. The buildings stood tall above him, glimmering and unchanged, as he walked down the many blocks of his new neighborhood that his house resided in. Taking a fresh breath of air, he turned the corner of the fifth block, deciding it was time to walk back to where his parents were unpacking.

The birds sang in the air, similar to that time many years ago. Similar to the chorus that sang as he walked away. His eyes went towards the sky as he thought deeply and reflected on his past. "I wonder if I'll be able to see my old friends again. Miku, Kaito, and Meiko. It had been only middle school since I last saw them. Even Luka- I wondered if she was still as serious as she had been."

A chuckle escaped his lips as he remembered the pink-haired girl often being 'mother' to the rest of the group- scolding them for bad behavior, threatening them for their language, and being so kind to the rest of them.

His attention was drawn to the park that his new house is resting near. It was the same park where the gang and he would hang out all the time. And it was the same park that Rin and he used to play at all the time since they met in elementary. And it was the same park that the final meeting between them had occurred.

"I wonder how she's doing right now," he whispered, feeling the same irregular beat in his heart. He always hated to admit it, but he was never to fully let go of the girl. He didn't carry much guilt or shame- he moved on with that fact long ago- but it was just _her_. She still continued to hold his heart all these years. But then again, young love never lasts.

"Maybe we shouldn't have tried to love then," he shrugs to himself, as if it was nothing. "Maybe we would still be friends. Maybe we would all be hanging around. But I guess what's done is done," a sigh escaped his lips. "If only I could tell you that," he grumbled, referring to his beating heart.

But only two blocks from his home, Mikuo had decided that his parents wouldn't mind his disappearance for a few minutes more. His head turned towards the park as he crossed the street- cars were both out of sight and none could be heard- and started to walk across the blanket of grass once he reached the other side.

It was sort of bittersweet, being back in the park he knew so well. The palm of his hand rested against the smooth trunk of an ancient giant, being a soft smile on his face. Really, nothing could be better than being back in his birthplace- at the town that he grew up in and called his home.

_This place hasn't changed a bit..._

His eyes looked up at the sky to see many birds chirping and gathering together for warmth on the arms of the giant above him. Memories started to flood back into his mind a he remembered the winter days he and Rin would spend together.

He remembered how they would wipe away the snow off of the benches and sit down together in December and January. He would often wear his black jeans, with a light jacket to keep him cozy. The blonde girl, on the other hand, was wrapped up in a large, puffy jacket, a thick beanie, gloves, and a great big scarf. Mikuo chuckled, remembering how she would always complain about how cold it was, though it was cute for it wasn't true complaining.

The breath coming out of her mouth always crystallized into a mist as she rubbed her gloved hands together. "_Why do we have to be in this cold?" _she insisted.

"_Because it's beautiful out here,"_the tealette would reply back.

"_Only to you. I'm an icicle out here... That's not funny!"_she would pout as the young boy chuckled, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. She immediately smiled as her cheeks turned slightly redder.

"_Better?" _He asked.

"_Maaaaybe," _She replied, looking up at the sky. Her blue eyes reflected it so clearly.

A sudden gust of wind interrupted Mikuo's thoughts as he shivered at the drop of temperature. He took his hand away from the trunk of the massive oak, deciding that the wind was a cue for him to return home. However, frantic chirping and repeated, muffled beats caught his attention as the tealette turned around. Behind him was a mourning dove, writhing violently in an attempt to take off. It's wing, however, was bent awkwardly and it would not obey the bird's command. With each movement of the broken wing, the bird let out a painful _ohr ohr _call, desperate for help.

He could not say what exactly took over him. He could not say exactly what drove him to walk over to this panicked and distressed bird, and crouch before it as it writhed on the dusty and leave-littered ground. And he could not say what led him to softly whistle to the bird in a _coo-oo_, trying to calm it's poor speeding heart as he gently scooped it up into his hands.

"It's okay," he whispered, gently and slowly. "I won't hurt you. It's okay," Once the bird had calmed down to the point that it would not fall out of his hands with the constant struggling, he took a few tissues out of his pocket and put them other the bird's head in an attempt to remove its sight temporarily. It remained still, though its tiny heart continued to flutter wildly.

With the brown and broken bird safe and still in his hands, he stood up and started to walk home. Tonight he would make it a temporary home for the night until he could go to the pet store the next morning.

It was nearly six by the time he had gotten back, and the sun painted the sky with golds and pinks and purples. He lowered the mourning dove into a large box with newspaper; it was unfitting, but it would have to do for the night. He just hoped the that the wind and the crash didn't hurt the bird's wings too badly.

Mikuo gave the bird a small bowl of water and some bread after his shower and after changing into his night clothes. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he watched the bird calmly drink the water and eat some of the food that was left for it to eat. He touched its head with the side of his index finger, sort of petting it.

"Tomorrow I'll have to go get you some food and a proper house to sleep in. You'll just have to make do with the box tonight." He sighed, looking at the bird's wing. "Maybe I can look around and see if any vets can take care of you. Too bad not many vets accept birds."

The mourning dove looked up at him curiously as he took his finger back. He headed towards his bed on the other side of the room, only looking back at the dove once.

"Though I wonder why your wings are clipped..."


End file.
